I have to be honest. For the first time in a while, I’m a little stuck. I have no idea what to write for today’s blog post. Sure, I could finish a number of the half-written blog pieces I keep on the back burner for moments like these, but at the moment, my head just isn’t there. Sometimes, it’s best to write about whatever’s on your mind at the moment–just to get the brain juices flowing. It’s probably a symptom of being distracted by a few deadlines I have to meet in the next two weeks and the upcoming Boston Comic Con (August 8 – 10, 2014). This is a typical thing that happens before a convention. So, I’ll just embrace it rather than fight it. Here goes.

First and foremost, I regret to mention that though I was hoping to have the second edition of Chadhiyana (the first comic) printed and in-hand for the upcoming convention, it’s now looking very unlikely. Because the book was rescanned, readjusted, edited and submitted to the printer from scratch (with additional pages), the printer has to review the files again before printing the book. The new edition will be available to purchase on-line as soon as the printer has completed the work on their end; however, it won’t be until the Baltimore Comic-Con in September that the new edition will be on my convention table.

Also, I’m just about done with a new book cover illustration and still plugging away at a new horror comic story for Atlas Unleashed. After the Boston Comic Con and once these jobs are done, I’m hoping to move on to some new projects, including illustrations for my first children’s book. I also penned a new horror story last week, and am working on another new story which is out of the realm of my usual sort of work. Perhaps it has some loose fantasy elements, but it’s something different altogether. I’m really enjoying writing it. It’s freeing to do something a little different every now and then, and I’m hoping to find a publisher for this one, once it’s done. I’ll let you all know how that goes, of course.

Other than that (and as I think I’ve mentioned before), I do have some vague ideas for some new Chadhiyana stories I’d like to write and illustrate soon (despite previous remarks that I wanted to finish the graphic novel before moving on to new stories). If I’m able to speed up my process a little more (see last week’s blog post, Need for Speed), this should be very possible. As for progress on that, I will mention that this last Chadhiyana: In the Company of Shadows page took only seven and a half hours to complete (including scanning and lettering)! I don’t know that I’ll be able to sustain that pace just yet, but I am hopeful.

As for Chadhiyana: In the Company of Shadows, I do hope you’re reading. Chapter I ends next week, and as usual, I’ll post a title page for Chapter II on the week between the two chapters. So, if you’re not reading yet or haven’t read in a while, catch up now. There are fifty pages on the website (chadhiyana.com) to enjoy as of this writing. And it’s only Chapter I. There’s a lot more to come.

Well, that’s all for this week. I hope some of you are coming out to the Boston Comic Con next weekend. I’ll be in Artist Alley, and I’ll be speaking on a panel on Friday night (more on that next week). So make sure you add me to your agenda.

J. M. DeSantis is a writer and artist (Write-ist), best known as the creator of the Indian dark fantasy heroine, Chadhiyana (chadhiyana.com) and the humorous web-comic, Gentleman Cthulhu: Emeritus Moribus Monstrum (gentlemancthulhu.com). DeSantis has also authored a number of short fiction and artworks. Support his work through J. M.'s Patreon at patreon.com/jmdesantis.